Post-Secondary Academic Enrichment Contribution to Cognitive Performance of Adults with Intellectual Disability and their Attitudes toward the Program

Headnote

Abstract: The study's goals were: (a) to examine the influence of postsecondary education (PSE) in the form of academic enrichment courses on the cognitive performance of adults with intellectual disability (ID); (b) to examine their attitudes toward the program. The sample included adults who participate in PSE (N = 21; CA = 26-59) and a control group of adults who participate in leisure activities, but not in PSE (N = 28; CA = 25.5-59). The Participation in Cognitively-stimulating Activities Questionnaire (Lifshitz-Vahav et al., 2016) was used. The participants rated their participation in cognitively-stimulating activities during the week. These were grouped into five main activities: table games, watching TV, reading, using technological devices, participating in PSE. A crystallized and fluid tests battery was administered. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to examine the participants' feelings toward the PSE program. Mixed regression with chronological age, etiology, and participation in the five main activities as independent variables indicated that participation in PSE contributed to semantic fluency, homophones and Raven matrices scores. Path analysis suggested that the five main activities predict performance on the crystallized and fluid tests. The opposite model was insufficient. The findings support the compensation age theory and the cognitive activity theory for populations with ID. Theories ofmotivation (Maslow, 2012; Ryan & Deci, 2020) can serve as explanations for the participants' attitudes toward the program.

Postsecondary education (PSE) for adults with intellectual disability (ID) is expanding around the world (Grigal et al., 2019). This study aimed to examine the contribution of participation of adults with ID with and without Down syndrome in postsecondary education (PSE) academic enrichment courses on their cognitive performance and their quality of life.

Theoretical background

People with ID, estimated at approximately 60 million worldwide, represent one of the largest groups of people with lifelong disabilities (World Health Organization, 2020). Improvements in medical care, nutrition, and public health policies have led to an increase in the life expectancy of the general population, and the population with ID with and without Down syndrome (Heller et al., 2018; Krinsky-McHale et al., 2008). Their longer lifespan has presented researchers and policy makers with the challenge of developing healthservices, occupational, social, leisure and cognitive programs for older adult with ID (Heller et al., 2018).

Compensation versus stimulation interventions...